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Panthers' Evan Rodrigues Believed He Was Headed to the Boston Bruins Per New Report

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Per a new report, 2x Stanley Cup winner Evan Rodrigues of the Florida Panthers believed that he was close to being moved to the divisional foe Boston Bruins.

Evan Rodrigues and the Florida Panthers continue to celebrate winning back to back Stanley Cups, coincidently both over the Edmonton Oilers.

Rodrigues is close to entering the 3rd year in his 4 year contract that he signed with the Panthers in the summer of 2023, and he's been a key part of their consecutive titles.

But there was a time recently when he believed that he was on the verge of being moved to the divisional foe Boston Bruins thanks to a well-timed prank by some of his Panthers teammates.

Per NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman during his recent '32 Thoughts' podcast, Rodrigues was led to believe that he was part of the package being sent back to the Bruins in the Brad Marchand deal.

The return for the Bruins wasn't announced for over an hour, and Rodrigues initially believed he was on his way to Boston.

They didn't announce the return for over an hour.....Definitely don't let teammates play practical jokes when they're terrified they're being dealt out of a situation they're happy in.

Rodrigues has 2 years left on his deal with an AAV (average annual value) of $3 million.

The Panthers re-signed their top UFAs

Panthers general manager Bill Zito pulled off a masterclass this summer, getting Aaron Ekblad, Marchand, and Sam Bennett all to agree to re-sign with the club and keep their potential dynasty going.

All 3 players re-signed for less than what they could have taken on the open market, but will still take home more cash thanks to the state of Florida's tax-friendly structure.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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